Clowns are just as scary in Nicaragua...5 year old birthday party
Things are falling into place for us in Nicaragua. Each day is a bit more routine. Work is still a bit of a mystery at times, but projects are starting to come together. For me, this means that I have started to fill up my weeks, day by day, with small projects to pass the time while I am assessing how I can best help out here.
Today, I had my first practice with Somoto’s first ever (as far as I know) girls basketball team (yeah for 10 year olds!). And on Friday, I start teaching sexual and reproductive health at the high school. Basically, what this means is that I am going to return to the states with an interesting mix of Spanish vocabulary – sports and sex.
But in more exciting news – we have a house! And its cute! Matt likes to describe it as ‘El Castillo’, to people who are looking for us. The exterior architecture is not exactly typical Nicaraguan, but it works, and it appears sufficiently fortified to keep us safe for two years. We have a nice little sala/living area which houses our plastic table and chair set, our bookshelf and our most prized possession – the rocking chair gifted to us by the former volunteer here in Somoto. There are also two small bedrooms with toilets (yes – we are fachenta (snobby/rich/stuck up) in PC terms because we live in a department capital and don’t need to use a latrine) and a small cooking area.
Me in the ´Kitchen´
We also have a back patio of sorts which is convenient because……we got a dog! Before all of you naysayers out there start asking questions and being negative – yes, we can bring him home and yes we intend to. We have very recently experienced the sadness of leaving a pet behind (though to a wonderful new mom – thank you June!) and we didn’t want to go through that again. So we looked into the laws and costs, and it is perfectly possible to bring a pet with you to the states, as long as it is up to date on its vaccines. So, we have our beautiful Astro (he came with the name – I have no idea how or where they came across the Jetsons, but anything is possible in Nicaragua) to keep us safe and keep us company for the next two years. He is currently 4 months old, which is convenient because he’s already potty trained and can be left at home alone for a couple of hours at a time. And, he’s absolutely adorable.
Astro
Matt and Astro in the Sala
Matt and Astro in front of the house
So, all in all, our life is quite nice here in Somoto. We are enjoying ourselves, dealing with the horrendous heat, and learning more everyday. Hopefully soon we’ll have enough vocabulary and local knowledge under our belt to dive into some serious projects.
4 comments:
So does Astro speak Spanish or English? Haha. Well I'm happy that you both are doing great down there and I know I've been slacking on the keeping in touch part but in my defense I've been quite a busy bee! I do look forward to coming to see you guys and experience life in Somoto for a brief time and until then you both take care! Love you guys!
Oh and I so can't wait until Gauge gets to meet her new cousin Astro! Hehe!!!
Love ya!
Love Jenny
Astro looks great, so what about ticks and fleas? Does Nicaragua have any? If so, what do you do about them? Also, would that be an issue coming back to the U.S. These are little things a parent wants to know.
Love, Matt's Dad
Matt looks so young without facial hair ... I didn't know him when he was 13, so this is a side of him I've never seen before !!! I love your house -- it reminds me so much of homes I visited in Viet Nam. All the stories about your everyday life are really interesting, and so much fun to read. Keep getting the most out of every day you're there ... and keep sharing it with us. Love you,
Stu
Just got all caught up! Congratulations on the house and the dog and all of your good work.
Astro is adorable.
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